Gas meter



April 19342 F. VON SCHUTZ 1=:r AL 1955,696

GAS METER Filed Jan. 26. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 17 1934 F. VON SCHUTZ r AL 1955696 GAS METER Filed Jan. 26. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nen (0125i Patented pr. 17, 1934 PATENT OFFICE GAS METER Friedrich von Schtx,

Berlin, and Waldemar Holm, Furstexiwalde, Germany Applieation January 26, 1931, Serial N0. 511,388

In Germany March 4, 1930 4 Claims.

This invention relates to gas meters, and mute particularly to the. counting mechanisms ernployed with the same.

Although various gas meter Systems are in use, the majority of these are accompanied by the disadvantage that a.s the consumption increases the actual quantity indicated is too small.

In the case of gas meters furnis;hed with reoiprocatory measuring chamber walls this error is greatly depen dent on the method of transmitting the motion of the diaphragm or hell to the counting mechanlsm. F01 the purpose 013 obtaining a more exact indication it has accordingly olready been proposed, in lieu of counting the number of movements, to measur'e the actual distanoe traversed, since thevolu-me per movement, due to the momentum of the reciprocatlng parts, and also for certain other reasons, increases wlth increased rate of passage 01 the gas, this leading to incorrect indicatlon if merely the number of movements are counted in place o1 measurement of the distance traversed.

When measuring the way traversed by the diaphragm there is, at least when the meter is working at high spieed, another error. If the diaphragm is moving qulckly, 1t stretches and bulges out. so that the gas volume golng through the meter at each stroke is no more proportional to the leneth of the stroke. It is the prlmary object of the present invention to overcome this inaccuracy in Such cases in which a more exact measurement is desired the invention enabling the etror characteristic of the meter to be varled, and bein g Capable of usein all cases in which, for indicati ng the volume, measurement is made f the distancetraversed. Other objects and advantages of the inventlon w ll becorne apparent as the description proceeds. According to the invention, the fact that the extent 015 movement with increased passage of the Ea.== is also increased to a slizht dee:ree is utilized to obtain withincreased consumption what may be termed a plus indication, the extent cf movement of the diaphragm or hell being transmitted ro the co'untine; mechanism to such a varylng degree for each single movement that the variation in the extent o1 movement ca.uses a. more than proportional advance on the part cf the mechanism.

The intention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings,

Fim=r. 1 illustrating in diagrammatlcal form a possible method o f transmission,

Fig. 2 being a modiflcatlon. The plate 01 the dlaphragm 1 ls supported in flexible material, fixed to lever 5 als their inner edges and to the wa1l 2 at their outer edges, prevent gas from entering the housing cf the counting mechanism 7. The outer end of lever 5 acts with the assistance of one or more rods 6 on a device measuring the extent -of movement, which device, in the known manner, rectifles the movements of the lever 5, converting them into a progressive rotary motion, which is transmitted to the counting mechanism 7. The part of the lever 5 situated within the casing possesses an extension 9 taking over the movement of the diaphragm 1.

The operation of the arm 9 by means of the diaphragm occurs during the course of the movement through the medium of two stops 10 and 11, which preferably allow the lever a slight amount of play. Two additional stops 12 and 13 are mounted on an extension of the oscillating lever 3 so that they are nearer to the fulcrum point of lever 5 than the stops 10 and. 11. Lever 9 is bent in such manner and the stops 12', 13 are so arranged that they strike the lever shortly before the movement iscompleted and cause the lever 9 to be lift ad from the stops 10 and 11, which for this purpose are spaced at a sufilcient distanoe apart.

In consequence, at the commencement and the end cf each stroke the movement of the diaphragm will be transmitted to the lever 5 with a. lever arm which is shorter than that wh1ch.is efi'ective during the intermediate part of the movement. Differences in the extent 01 move- 'ment will, therefore, be amplified in the movementof the lever 5. Thecounting mechanisrn '7 is upon increased movement of the diaphragm accordingly imparted a more greatly increased advance than would conform with the actual diaphragm increase, so that the gas meter, even in the case of a high consumption, will. indica.te the gas volume going through without error due to the bulging out of the diaphragm. The distance between the point at which the arm 9 is fixed to ehe lever 5 is prefer ably adjustable. For this purpose the end of the lever 5 ls threaded, und. the arm 9 ends in a bush 18 which is clamped by means oftwo nuts 19threaded on lever 5.

Fig. 2 illustrates, a simplifled form of constructlon. The transmission 01 the dlap hragm movement to the 1ever 5 is performed by means of the arm 9 which engageswith the stops 10, 11 mounted on an abutment of the diaphragm plate 1, and setting is performed in themanner described above by varying the distance between a fixed point of the 1ever 9 on 1ever 5 and the fulcrum point 14 of the lever 5. In this embodiment, however, provision is made for idle movement at a suicable point of ehe transmission lever syster. For example, the distance between the stops 10 and 11 might be correspondingly increased 01', as illustrated in Fig. 2, the rod 6 is driven by means of a pin 15 at the end of 1ever 5 .which moves in a slot of the rod 6. Other expediences are naturally also possible pursuing the same object. As compared with a gas meter adjusted without idle movement of this kind, the length of the 1ever 5 must be made longer between its axis 14 and the point of suspension of the rod 15, in order to obtain the proper advance on the part 01 the counting mechanism. The idle motion in the transmitting mechanism between diaphragm and counting device results in that the part of the stroke of the diaphragm that is a1ways the same, no matter whether the meter is going at low or high speed, is transmitted on1y part1y to the counting mechanism; in consequence, the variations of the other part of the stroke act to an increased extent on the mechanism as compared with their proportion 130 the 1ength of the stroke. Difierences in the extent of movement of the meter will accordingly in this case also be made 120 act to an increased extent on the mechanism as compared with its proportion to the actual amount of transmission.

This will be more readily apparent with the assistance of an example. It is assumed tha.t in the normal arrangement the extent of movement of the point 15 amounts to 10 mm. on the normal stroke, and to 11 mm. when a large amount of gas is passing through, this representing an increased advance of the mechanism amounting to 10% conforming with similar increase in the movement of the meter. At the point 15 there is provided an id1e motion amounting to 5 mm. In order to again arrive at the same advance the distance between the fulcrum point 14 of the 1ever 5 and the fixed point of ehe 1ever 9 is increased by approximately the ha1f so that the point 15 on the normal stroke Will move 15 mm. and upon increased passage of the gas 15 1.1=16.5 mm. The rods 6 follow this distance less the extent of idle movement amounting to 5 mm. and accordingly described a movement amounting to 10 mm. for the normal stroke and 11.5 mm. with increased gas. In this case the counting mechanism is accordingly advanced .5 mm. in excess when the quantity of gas is high, thus compensating the error due to the bulging out of the diaphragm.

A particular advantage of this apparatus consists in the fact that as regards transmission lever mechanisms of the kind described no difficulty is encountered, but to the contrary a facilitation obtained, if provision is purposely made for id1e movement at certain points.

By making the stops 12 and 13 according to Fig. 1, or the idle movement according to Fig.

2, the latter by means of the screw 17, adjustable, it is possible to subsequently vary the characteristic 015 the meter.

What we claim as new and .desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a gas meter, a casing ha.ving a hole in its wall, a diaphragm in the casing, a pair 015 stops supported by said diaphragm, a. diaphragm guide 1ever, a pair 015 stops on said lever, a pivot arranged in front of the hole, an oscillating 1ever pivotally supported by the pivot, an extension on said oscillating lever adapted to engage with the stops of the diaphragm guide 1ever at the commencement and at the end of ea.ch stroke of the diaphragm and adapted to engage with the stops of the diaphragm during the intermediate part of the stroke of the diaphragm, the stops of the diaphragm guide 1ever and diaphragm being so arranged that the distance between the pivot supporting the oscillating lever and the stops of the diaphragm guide 1ever is shorter than the distance between this pivot and the stops of the diaphragm, a counting mechanism, and means including a clutch connected by a rod with the oscillating lever for actuatmg the counting mechanism upon oscillation of the said 1ever.

2. In a, gas meter, a casing having a hole in its wall, a diaphragm in the casing, a pair of stops supported on said diaphragm, a pivot arranged in front of said hole, an oscillating lever pivotally supported by the pivot, an extension on said oscillating lever adapted 150 engage with said stops, a counting mechanism, Ineans including a clutch connected by a rod with the oscillating 1ever for actuating the counting mechanism upon oscilla- 1..

tion of the said rod by the lever, a s1ot in said rod. and a pin on the end of the 1ever adapted to engage the slot in the rod.

3. In a gas meter, a casing having a hole in its wal1, a diaphragxn in the casing, a pair of stops 1;

supported on the diaphragm, a, pivot arranged in front of said hole, an oscillating lever pivotally supported by the pivot, an extension on said lever adapted to engage with said stops, a counting mechanism, a clutch operatively connected with the counting mechanism, a rod connecting the oscillating lever with the clutch for actuating the counting mechanism upon oscillation of the said rod by the 1ever, a s1ot in said rod, a screw adapted to vary the efiective length of the s1ot,

and a pin at the end of the lever, adapted to engage in the slot.

4. In a gas meter, a casing having an opening in its wall, a diaphragm insaid casing, a 1ug on said diaphragm and having spaced pins, a

lever pivoted to said casing adjacent said opening and extending through said opening on each side thereof, an extension positioned in said casing and having a portion loosely extending between said pins, means mounting said extension on the end of said lever in the casing, a. rod pivoted. to the end of said 1ever outside of said casinga clutch operated by said rod, and w a counting mechanism operated by said clutch.

FRIEDRICH von SCHTZ. WALDEMAR HOLM. 

